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il·lu·mi·nate | \ i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt 
\
\illuminated; illuminating
Definition of illuminate
(Entry 1 of 3)
1a(1) : to supply or brighten with light
(2) : to make luminous or shining
b : to enlighten spiritually or intellectually
c : to subject to radiation
d archaic : to set alight
2a : to make clear : elucidate
b : to bring to the fore : highlight a crisis can illuminate how interdependent we all are
3 : to make illustrious or resplendent
4 : to decorate (something, such as a manuscript) with gold or silver or brilliant colors or with often elaborate designs or miniature pictures
illuminate
adjectiveil·lu·mi·nate | \ i-ˈlü-mə-nət \
\Definition of illuminate (Entry 2 of 3)
1 archaic : brightened with light
2 archaic : intellectually or spiritually enlightened
illuminate
nounil·lu·mi·nate | \ i-ˈlü-mə-nət \
\Definition of illuminate (Entry 3 of 3)
archaic
: one having or claiming unusual enlightenment
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Other Words from illuminate
Verb
illuminator \ i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnā-tər \ noun
\ noun
Examples of illuminate in a Sentence
Verb
the part of the moon illuminated by the sun
A university study has illuminated the problem.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb During the evenings, lights illuminate the creations for a magical viewing experience.
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Heather Balogh Rochfort, The Know, "9 of Colorado’s best winter festivals," 18 Nov. 2019 Tonight's Full Moon may illuminate more than the landscape.
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Tribune Content Agency, oregonlive, "Horoscope for Nov. 11, 2019: Happy birthday Tye Sheridan; Libra, be a good sport," 11 Nov. 2019 These novels turn the reader’s attention outward, illuminating not just the nature of the Underground Railroad and of migration pathways, respectively, but of the world that necessitated and produced them.
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Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, "How “The Memory Police” Makes You See," 6 Nov. 2019 But instead of a priest, Evil illuminated Fuller outside of the house.
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Lynette Rice, EW.com, "Evil recreates iconic moment from The Exorcist," 25 Oct. 2019 Some medications that improve sleep, for example, still fail to improve learning and memory; future studies of the balance of slow waves produced under their influence might illuminate why.
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Quanta Magazine, "Dueling Brain Waves Anchor or Erase Learning During Sleep," 24 Oct. 2019 Your break down of the Rockies record with and without leads was illuminating.
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Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, "Rockies Mailbag: General manager Jeff Bridich might have to become a “wheeler dealer” this offseason," 23 Oct. 2019 Our flashlights illuminated the eyes of not too distant alligators.
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Steve Mirsky, Scientific American, "The Outsize Role of Tiny Mosquitoes in Human History," 11 Oct. 2019 Arc lighting was great for illuminating streets and large buildings.
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National Geographic, "Edison and Tesla's cutthroat 'Current War' ushered in the electric age," 27 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective The problem is that, while the careful study of history can provide policymakers with powerful insights, incongruous comparisons can just as easily obscure as illuminate contemporary challenges.
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Richard Fontaine, The Atlantic, "The Uses and Misuses of Historical Analogy for North Korea," 3 Oct. 2017 Throughout the film, interviews reveal the pervasive abuses committed against infants, children and teens as well as illuminate groups and people who are working to stop it.
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Kimber Myers, latimes.com, "Filmmaker-monk goes after sex trade in documentary 'Stopping Traffic'," 28 Sep. 2017
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'illuminate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for illuminate
illuminate
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of illuminate
: to supply (something) with light : to shine light on (something)
: to make (something) clear and easier to understand
See the full definition for illuminate in the English Language Learners Dictionary
illuminate
verbil·lu·mi·nate | \ i-ˈlü-mə-ˌnāt \
\illuminated; illuminating
Kids Definition of illuminate
1 : to supply with light : light up
He clutched Rose as a dazzling blast illuminated the lobby…— Brian Selznick, Wonderstruck
2 : to make clear : explain His speech illuminated the subject.
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Time Traveler for illuminate
The first known use of illuminate was in the 15th century
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